Lupe Ayla Lycans
Lupe Ayla Lycans: "All life is precious no matter what form it takes--plant, animal, friend, or foe." - Lupe Ayla Lycans Name: Lupe Ayla Lycans Species: Genetic Hybrid Wolf Age: Not Given D.O.B.: May 12th, XXXX Height: Not Recorded Weight: Not Recorded Hair: '''Black '''Eyes: Blue Fur: '''Silvery grey and white '''Inate Element: multiple Hybird Ability: Life Force (Mana) Empathy Prefered Weapons: Crossbow, Druid Staff Supplimental Items: Spirit Meld Prism, Bag of Holding Vehicle(s) of Choice: alpha male lion (Shi-Shi) Favorite Food: Tacos, Mint Chocolate-Chip Ice Cream Favorite Music Genre: Instrumental, Flute/Pan Pipe/Shakuhachi Favorite TV Show: "Fontraile Geographic", "The Rabite Whisperer" Theme A: "Africa" by Toto Theme B: "The Rose" by Bette Midler Personality Profile: Softspoken, understanding, and humble. That about summarizes UCI's own nature authority. Whether tending to the animals from her nature preserve, planting flowers and trees, or examining soil and mineral samples (and the occasional gemstone) brought to her by the geology sub-lab staff, Lupe is always thinking about and caring for life and life essence. Possessing a triangular synergy of skills, knowledge, and hybrid ability, Lupe goes about ensuring Miranda and its forests will survive well into future generations--just one woman's part to save the planet from fools who would endanger it with wasteful or pollutive habit. When not planting trees or nursing injured animals, Lupe takes her crossbow and bevy of skills into action as UCI's warrior druid. In spite of her strong detest of violence and brutality, she understands that even nature isn't always a bed of roses and one sometimes has to fight for the planet's future. Lupe is quoted saying that "All things of this planet have to co-exist. Just because you live above, on, or in the earth doesn't mean you have the right to live at the expense of others." History: The Path of Lupe's People Begins. The Wolf Tribe's humble beginnings started within the city kingdom of Ecotropia. In a time before Vorostov had fallen under the administration of unsavy politicians and its territory was far smaller, most of the continent was thriving natrual habitat inhabited by various wildlife. Long before Lupe was even born, a group of wolf hybrids with a shared respect for nature looked to the outerworld, aspiring for a return to an unspoiled environment. Ecotropia's balance of nature and technology was commendable but with Neo Arcadia, Vorostov and the other countries of the world avidly pursuing the world of science, machinery, and the realm of progress, who was tending to the other extrema? The natural world had thrived for generations without need of guardians or protectors. Yet with the growing world of artificial seeming so overbearing, even with Ecotropia's middleground as liason between the opposing forces of technical and organic, there was a distinct imbalance. Like Edoropia and Ecotropia circling its mother country, Neo Arcadia there were two similar but different satellites sandwiching a middleground--a balanced symmetry. Therefore it only made sense for someone to return to the roots of a simpler time--before Project Exodus had given life to the Hybrids, the animal kingdom coexisted within the natural environment as part of Mother Nature's plan. Though they had been changed, the Hybrids most certainly retained the cord that tied them to the world of the before times; in heart, soul, and instinct. And with the gift of anthropomorphic bodies and humanoid intelligence, a tribe working together could most certainly form a society dedicated to the care and preservation of this organic world. Leaving the confines of Ecotropia, the Wolf Tribe began their journey to the heart of the untamed land, pledging to remain loyal to Ecotropia's king and queen once their splinter group had established a home to call their own. Leaving no mark on the land save for the footprints of their sandals, the wolves watched, learned, and befriended their non-mutated brethren of the animal kingdom while observing and studying all aspects of the plant kingdom. And the tribe expanded their knowledge into the land itself, learning its composition and role in supporting and sheltering life. Searching for further understanding of the planet, the tribe began learning of its life force energy--which they had called "mana"--and the various forms it took in the weather and the elements; the breath of the planet in the form of air and wind, the blood of the plant--burning and boiling as fire and magma, cool and life-giving as water and rain, the flesh of the planet in its earth, rock, and minerals, the energy of the planet in the form of lightning and the voice of the planet in the form of thunder. With the discovery of various minerals in the form of unique crystals and gems--the Wolf Tribe discovered they could be used as conduits to channel mana energy in its triad of forms, uniting the plant, animal, and elemental worlds. Seeing this as a great power to be used responsibly, the tribe swore a solemn oath the the planet and life itself that this great power was something to be used sparingly and responsibly for its well-being. From a Splinter Comes a Splinter: The Wolf Tribe continued their crusade in the name of nature and the land and all was bountiful. However as time went on a fissure had begun to form amongst the group. The tribe was divided on their philosophy and key focal points of the society they were forging. The dispute could have gone many different ways, but in the end it was decided that the two factions would peacefully go their separate ways with no hard feelings. The People of Spirit followed the way of Mystra--out of Vorostovian territor, across Neo Arcadia and across the isles to Jang and the Great Temples even beyond--and in doing so actually trascended the state of being magically inert and become magic-users. The remaining portion of the tribe became known as the People of the Earth and continued deeper into the wilderness. This Land is Your Land (but) This Land is MY Land: The Wolf Tribe had kept its word that it would remain loyal to Ecotropia but in hindsight they had ventured too far from the kingdom. And it would not hear about the kingdom's fall and erasure from the planet for some time to come. Ideally the Secret Society would have liked to have taken Edoropia, but that was flat-out suicide on so many levels--besides the fact that Edoropia was practically seated on Neo Arcadia's far east shoulder and no one would dare sneeze wrong without the world seeing it, there was the reputation of its own goverment and its leaders being bat-guano insane and hording a private weapons collection spanning several pieces capable of mass destruction; a potential firestorm that not even Vorostov would touch no matter how desparate they were. The situation was still worsening from the fallout of a very destroyed Ecotropia and its wealth of knowledge and riches and the people were demanding its leaders do something about the famine, poverty, and hard times. And furthermore, Edoropia's active leader was looking at Vorostov with very furious, accusing eyes. With Ecotropia gone, Edoropia demanding justice, and Neo Arcadia not looking particularly sympathetic to a growing famine and poverty--especially over how suspious Vorostov's government was looking, its leadership was backed into a corner and desparate for a solution. It was then that the government's attention had zeroed in on a prospering Wolf Tribe living it its wilderness. And it seemed they were somehow spinning straw into gold...metaphorically speaking. It seemed these "Native Vorostovians" as the government amusedly dubbed were living like kings in a kingdom far too big for a handful of dogs to rule over. Expanding Vorostov's borders would have to be good for its image and if "mangy fleabags" could grow a bumper crop on this land, any agriculture halfwit could do the same at a very cheap price. The Wolf Tribe was ignorant to the Secret Society's true intent and its model for a brighter Vorostov Future which everybody but the Tribe wins. In theory it would be no difficult task to buy their land at a bargain price. After all. They were a "backwards, druidic, treehugger society" in the key figures' eyes. How could they POSSIBLY know the value of the smallest unit of Vorostov currency? Stringing them along would be a delicate operation. Especially with Neo Arcadia staring the country down for the rather suspcious timing of Ecotropia's demise. This could be strike two if it went south. The Society did feel it had one thing going for it--Neo Arcadia in all likelyhood didn't know about the Wolf Tribe's existance. As long as Neo Arcadia didn't know this, then annexing their land wouldn't seem suspicious. Slow and steady. Once that land was under Vorostov's flag, the days of woe would be over. In this Land, the Only Princess is Mother Nature: Lupe Ayla Lycans was born to the tribal chief and was thus viewed as the tribe's princess. But to Lupe the title had little meaning. She was a particularly pure and humble young girl and her parents were particularly careful about balancing her development to avoid her growing spoiled. And on the same note to avoid her becauing insecure. They were well on their way when Lupe's mother passed away. Learning early about the cycle of life, Lupe was saddened but her father was with her every step of the way, helping her understand life and death and come to terms with it. Lupe was quite the prodigal daughter, far surpassing many of the Tribe in her talent with plants, animals, and the very essence of nature itself. She was gifted and not just in it how much she learned but that she had the strongest and best controlled Hybrid Ability of Mana Empathy--an ability which was extremely common among the People of the Earth. And like all of her people she understood the meaning of the saying "All is one, one is all." The universe had a current like a river and life itself was a perpetuating cycle. The land would not give back if nothing was given to it in return. In a way it was like the practice of Alchemy in Fontraile or the Laws of Conservation of Mass and Conservation of Energy in any developed scientific community. Lupe's mother had always worried that there would come a time when their very society would probably see harsh times and violence from an impending outside world. A world ignorant to the lesson their people had taken to heart about life and the land. Their people would need someone who could fight the war against ignorance and foolishness--with knowledge and wisdom. Therefore her father's promise to her was to give Lupe the tools for future should she have to venture outside of the world she had been raised in. And paramount to that was an education. It was incredibly difficult getting a modern world's teachings to their young girl but they were convinced it was for the best. Lupe was soon avidly reading about environmental science, biology, and nature in addition to learning and experiencing nature and the plant and animal kingdoms for herself. Some day she would make a future tribal leader a lucky man and the tribe would prosper. Halcyon Days End Again: The Wolf Tribe peacefully traded territory for their earnings at first. But the land Vorostov acquired only stayed prosperous for a fleeting amount of time before it started to wither, die, and turn into wasteland. Unhospitable, lifeless wasteland. Needless to say...the Secret Society was enraged behind closed doors. There was something particulary bitter and vile about the cheaters being cheated themselves. Growing impatient, the Vorostovian Government decided the simplest route was to annex more land. And so more land was added to the Vorostovian territory. In the name of progress, nature soon found itself playing second fiddle or not at all to the rise of modernizing civilization and expanding human-dwelling society. The land that didn't get reserved for aggriculture only stayed nice and shiny new city and suburban regions for short whiles until famine, poverty, and crime started catching up to them as well. Invariably more land had to be added to the mother country. The Wolf Tribe began showing signs of concern which escalated to worry. The Vorostovian Representatives the government had been sending to negotiate were beginning to lose their bedside manner and the requests were starting to sound less and less like requests. As the wilderness and natural world shrunk smaller and smaller, the Wolf Tribe grew more alarmed at how much of their old land was withering away. Lupe was still young but she was smart enough to know what was going on wasn't right and it was endangering their very world. Something had to be done before it was too late. Eventually, the Wolf Tribe was pushed almost as far as they could be pushed away into the continent. Several instances of migration had taken its toll. Any further expansion would probably mean the tribe could no longer occupy the continent and Wolf Tribe territory was now surrounded on all sides by land that now belonged to Vorostov. It was cut off from Neo Arcadia, still unaware of their presence. Vorostov was now in a juggling act of trying to manage the fallout of Ecotropia and trying to keep the Wolf Tribe situation under wraps. And furthermore the land they had annexed was dying at an accelerating rate. There was a distinct lack of continent left to acquire. The Secret Society was now at the point of ultimatum. What did the Wolf Tribe know that was letting them continue to survive? How dare they hold out on Vorostov! One way or another those secrets would be in the dark society's hands. Vorostov prevails. Period. The pressure was on the Wolf Tribe as well. Fear was on the rise. There was nowhere left to migrate and Vorostov would not let the Wolf Tribe simply waltz into Neo Arcadia for assylum, not when they had the key to the proverbial Garden of Eden--however they were continuing to sow and reap a bountiful harvest, it was a daily slap in the mother country's face. The Secret Society could no longer stand for it. But if they pushed too much harder, they could split the Golden Goose in half, killing it. Just as they had done to Ecotropia, the golden ring slipping through their fingers a second time was unacceptable. So...where did they go wrong last time? Betrayal: It was a cliche as old as time; someone would grow tired of the whole tiresome running away with tails between legs. So it was that the Wolf Tribe member known as Draco in secret met with the representatives of the Secret Society and began disclosing the Tribe's most sacred of secrets in small doses in exchange for more a more...lucrative lifestyle. Pacing himself, he waited until the time was right to deliver the big prize that would set Vorostov on the road to many millenia of prosperity. Confident that the path to fortune and power could be shortcutted, Draco laid back in the lap of luxury whenever he had the chance to sneak away from the tribe for extended periods of time. It was the day no one saw coming. The day Lupe's world came crashing down. This time when Vorostov came to the Wolf Tribe, they came with something that they had never brought before...soldiers. And on that day the Wolf Tribe was witness and victim to the first act of unspeakable violence. It was more than Draco had bargained for. He would have no time to lament his choice. He was a loose end. And loose ends had to be tied. It was not a dignified demise. So not dignified. They came in numbers far greater than the Wolf Tribe could have imagined. Lupe's father made a stand. If their way of life was going to go down, it wouldn't go down without a fight. At the most critical moment, the tribe seemed to have a glimmer of hope. But the soldiers' commander would take him by surprise. Perhaps if the fight had been fair, a different outcome would have been in store for the Wolf Tribe. But a scared daughter seeing her father in danger led to one possible outcome; being used as a hostage. In that fleeting moment, Lupe tried to break free but nto no avail. Savagely beaten her father could only look weakly as his beloved daughter was hurled aside and the gun bearing down on him. With one last scream, Lupe made a last ditch effort so save her dad, bashing the soldier with a sharp rock. And with that, Lupe was soundely defeated by the cold steel of a commanding soldier's bayonet slashing Lupe underneath her left eye. Aim was taken, the weapon cocked. And the explosion that led to an eternity of silence. The princess found herself alone in the world. The World Stood Still. And Something Happened...People Got Mad: Lupe was in a lengthy period of mourning and had shut herself up in silence. They could interrogate her and the others as much as they pleased. There was nothing anyone had to say to them. The Wolf Tribe was rounded up and the last of the land was under Vorostov control. All they needed now was the secret to life and a prosperous future was assured. But then something happened that sent shockwaves though the world. Something that made time stop for a brief moment and people just stare aghast. The verdict of the People vs. Vortex Labs had set a very large puddle of thick, flammable napalm ablaze underneath Vorostov's feet. Bunnie's testimony was reverberating far and wide from Edoropia to Jang, Neo Arcadia to Funkytown. Perhaps even reaching the ears of people on the other side of the world on Fontraile. The Secret Society had no choice but to slam on the brakes; The cry out for inalieable Hybrid rights and freedoms was deafening and causing a lot of eyes to be burning rays of suspcion and distrust for a polarized Vorostov and whatever resentment and looks of accusation wear there before, they had exploded with full force and was bearing down on the guilty like a hot sun on a triple-digit heat wave in a desert wasteland--ironically what the Secret Society had managed to create of the wilderness they had stolen from the Wolf Tribe. With Vortex officially ended, rounding up these Hybrid wolves and putting the screws to them was no longer a option. It was far too risky to get the information they needed. This was strike two. Vorostov had lost another shred of hope. With options limited, the government hastilly set up a Reservation for "Native Vorostovians" under the guise of being a decommisioned and abandoned military base. With a permeter of thickly arranged buildings and such obscuring what was really behind electrified fences, no one would think to look for a demilitarized zone within. Ideally the Society wanted to establish certain people loyal to the cause to oversee that what lay within was no better than a concentration camp, but with the world severely PO'ed at Vortex and the country it was in, any contact or corrospondance with an "abandoned" military base would look really suspicious. The soldiers pulled out and left the secret Reservation. With no food or supplies and no leader, a forgotten tribe was good as dead. Survival Isn't Just Our Only Option, It's All We Know How To Do: The People of the Earth had cast aside their worthless pride and with it their fancy name. Wolf Tribe was good enough. The soldiers had understimated them. This proud people knew how the circle of life worked and their connection to the kingdoms of plant, animal, mineral, and elemental was strong if not unbreakable. There was still life left in the land. As a close-knit extended family, they just needed to mobilize it. But first...they'd need someone to guide them. Even before the loss of her mother and father, Lupe was in no hurry to be a leader. She would not take her childhood for granted. But now she had lost her childhood and she fully felt the gravity of what had been taken from her. Before then there was nothing Lupe had a particularly dislike for. But the murder of her father gave rise to something she would feel such an intense fear and distaste for. It was violence. Violence without meaning. Sure, nature wasn't always a peaceful world and there a food chain which higher lifeforms preyed on lower ones for sustainance. But that was natural. That had a purpose. What had been done to her tribe and her father served no purpose. It followed nothing logical. It was war for the sake of greed. It was human intoxicated with propoganda against the Hybrid species, not just following orders but gladly following them because they had been taught to embrace the same hatred as the Secret Society. This hatred and violence. It was a sickness and a contageous one. Lupe didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. By tribal law, she was now the successor to her family's tribal reign. So many people looking to her. So much responsibility to bear. And what if Vorostov came back with more soldiers and more violence? These people were not warriors. They were life-givers. How could she hope to lead them to defend themselves when even her own father had fallen at the hands of their enemies? Too upset by the thoughts of worse-case scenario, Lupe pushed it out of her head and focused on how the tribe would endure. The first thing to do was establish a well-spring of life force. An anchor for what little life in the land and elements still remained. If gathered together it could prove to be a very sustainable source for the large, hidden village. Like a supersized oasis in the middle of nowhere. An oasis that could last a long time before its ability to keept the life cycle going would start to fade. And so a tree was planted at the center of it all. But no ordinary tree. This tree would be a functioning symbol of the their committment to respecting life and the land. Many years went by and the Reservation began to flourish inside. Lupe reluctantly took up her duty as the tribe's leader and symbol of hope. With a gentle, motherly passion she guided her people the only way she knew how. As long as everyone drew breath and as long as they kept to the path they would perservere. A plant could be buried deep into the ground...but in time it would grow back. With desperation finally boiling over, the tensions within Vorostov itself gave rise to the infamous Vorostov Conflict and would find itself expanding its borders, violently and forcefully as it pressed north toward Neo Arcadia. This time would be strike three, but the country was willing to put it all on the line and risk everything. The Dust Settles: The Vorostov Conflict ended in the worst catostrophic, cataclysmic disaster the country would ever know, almost totally wiping itself out of existance with a botched Superweapon. By now the Wolf Tribe was the last thing on the country's mind if even existing in memory at all. The Wolf Tribe lived in its own little self-made paradise, having picked up the pieces and recovered from the trauma Vorstov had put them through. It was just karma finally paying off some could argue. Lupe had managed to bounce back. By now her powers were the strongest and most evolved of the tribe. She had taken up her mother's Spirit Meld Prism and her father's Druid Staff and was assembling an impressive collection of plant seeds, herbs and whatnot. With much collaboration, the tribes crops and livestock had become nothing short of record-setting. And not a soul outside of the rusting barbwire electric fences knew of it. But Lupe knew that the territory within the confined quarters was still so small. Even frugally using its resources and recycling them was the same as rechargeable batteries in a flashlight. Eventually after so many recharges or recyclings of its lifeforce, age would catch up to their home. With a village this size on a portion of nature this small, its abilityh to give back what the tribe put into it would wane. The damage the Superweapon and poorly managed agricultural endevours on the Vorostovian's part to the surrouding land was just too great. It would try to draw what life was still left in it away to attempt to fill the void. But all that life force had gone to waste so quickly and hastily because of the Secret Societies actions though the government and its military forces. And even more of the resources harvested from the land had gone into a fighting a war with Neo Arcadia. This truly was a sad and pathetic epitaph to a withering continent. I Care: The aftermath of the Vorostov Conflict would stretch several more years as Neo Arcadia tried to clean up the mess and get answers from an otherwise barely cooperative remnants of a country that should have known better than to trust the people they had put in charge. In that time, UCI would discover the hidden village that Vorostov tried to cover up and be absolutely amazed how a tribe of Hybrids could still be alive and well there after all this time. They were Vorostov's responsibility. And Vorostov's government was one irresponsible parent. With the reservation no longer under anyone's control or funding, the question on what to do with it next was a hot topic within the Legion of Nations. The solution came from one lone voice of reason in an otherwise very divided climate. Bunnie Mei Rabbotou had been made aware of the situation on a recommendation from Violet during her recruitrment drive in Miranda. While a young Gadget Hackwrench had made up her mind to travel from Neo Arcadia City, Neo Arcadia to Miranda on Fontraile, word would travel back and forth between Lupe and UCI Headquarters. Having volunteered to clean up abandoned mess, Neo Arcadia had presented their proposal to begin a mass terraforming project on former Vorostovian soil. The land would be nursed back to health over decades if not centuries and would be rightfully returned to Lupe's decendants down the road should they choose to migrate back to the place they had once called home. For now there was the matter of relocating them off of dying territory and to more hospitable regions within Neo Arcadia's territory. At a point within the winter season between Raxis Arena activties, Bunnie Rabbotou carefully planned the excursion to the pious village with a contingient of close Mirandian friends. With Velaska as guide, the trek through Vorostovian territory was a stark and humbling experience; surviving Vorostovians would not be particularly welcoming to a dubious party. But the journey paid off when they finally arrived at the ruins of the faux army base. With the electric fence deenergized and in disrepair, and the buildings crumbling from lack of maintenance, the group was in for a startling surprise as the village within was in impossibly thriving condition. A short meeting after bearing witness to Lupe's ceremony to heal the Great Tree from a previous lightning strike--a formality to sustain the village's mana long enough for the relocation to go completely through. Glad to help and even entertain the villagers (and children), Bunnie and friends squared everything away and were soon introduced to UCI's newest member. Deciding to step down as the tribe's leader as the tribe would drift apart and set about their own paths and lives, Lupe addressed her people one last time and bid fairwell and set her sights on an unfamiliar world that lay ahead. Today: Lupe has since estabilished herself in UCI as its chief environmental science authority, specializing in botany, zoology, geology, and ecology. Augmented with her Hybrid Powers and skills as a druid, Lupe brings a breed of gentle TLC to the action team. Having purchased land with Vi's help, Lupe has begun a combination nature reserve--combining her triadic slices of the world of life under one facility. Housing one of the most complete and diverse gardens, as well as a wildlife sanctuary for animals wild and domestic, an working archaelogical dig on site, a geological research facility, and a museum dedicated to all forms of life and the land that houses them, Lupe's unnamed brainchild is open to the public and has proven to be quite up-and-coming as far as places of learning and interation go. When not working around the clock with her plant, animal, soil, and elemental specimens, Lupe tends to the parks and gardens of Miranda and assists in the various sublabs dealing with environmental science, life science, and related subjects. Lupe often finds herself analyzing plant specimens as well as keeping an accurate zoology database for UCI's benefit. And when relaxing she spends her quality time at the parks, attracting and tending to the wildlife. Lupe has a rather warm friendship with Sally. In spite of the contrast of their worlds--Sally being very technocentric and Lupe being a naturalist--the two of them connect fairly well and enjoy working with one another in the field. Never actually expecting to meet someone in her life, Lupe was taken by surprise and became rather charmed by the appearance of Aiden Hoyt. Having become very taken by him, Lupe is feeling true happiness for the first time in a very long time. Lupe continues to date him, having become romantically engaged. Lupe remains quiet but secretly she views Cima as the very worst kind of person--a war-monger. While not as intimidated by her as Gadget, Lupe finds herself putting as much distance between the sergal as possible. Being strongly connected to Miranda's life and natural habitat, many park and forest dwelling animals are attracted to her like a magnet. And domesticated animals are just as friendly in her presence. Lupe is glad things turned out the way they did. While she still keeps the memory of her family in her heart, she seems to lament the past less than Sally, Bunnie, and Rotor. Often grouped with them, Lupe is actually not an Ecotropia Survivor herself, but they've accepted her as an official member even if it's unofficial. Miranda has proven to be a nice new home for her. Though it is filled with interesting characters, weird situations, and the occasional instances of ignorance and violence, Lupe is glad to be in this bold new place. As long as there are plants, animals, and minerals to study, Lupe will be a happy camper for time to come. And an occasional jumbo peppermint patty from Hestia's makes life all the more sweeter.